Spinning class is NOT a bike ride to nowhere

November 11, 2009|By Molly Belmont, Albany Times Union

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. — People rave about spinning classes, going on and on about what an exhilarating workout they provide. But looking at the two rows of stationary bikes in the plain, smallish room at Best Fitness, I was skeptical. Was I just spinning my wheels?

After all, what kind of variety could a bike ride to nowhere offer? A great deal, as it turns out.

Using bass-heavy, thumping music and lots of visualization cues, instructor Joanne LeBel guides her students through a range of different terrain and imaginary situations, turning the darkened gym classroom into a race for the gold medal.

To keep things interesting, LeBel mixes up biking scenarios, persuading the class to imagine that we are taking a Herculean bike ride to the beach, a mini Tour de France and a heart-pounding up-and-down jaunt through hill country.

During one part of the class, we "race" with our neighbors to cross the imaginary finish line; in another, we take turns cheering one another on, clapping, whistling and counting down to whip our fellow riders into a pedaling frenzy.

Later in the class, we are asked to get up and down off our seats with increasing frequency, alternating our focus between cardio and resistance training.

In another part of the class, LeBel asks us to visualize ourselves pedaling up a mountain to reach the ocean on the other side. She persuades us to smell the sea breeze and hear the waves in the distance as she gradually ratchets up the tension on the pedal crank.

Each cycle is equipped with a knob below the handlebars that increases the tension on the pedal crank. As we push uphill, LeBel has us dial up the resistance, simulating a hard climb and forcing our thighs and glutes to work that much harder.

At one point on our mountainous climb, the knob is turned so far to the right that the flywheels are vibrating. "Your glutes should be exploding!" LeBel yells.

When we finally reach the imaginary summit, we dial the tension down a little to simulate cruising. Then, we pedal like the wind down the side of the mountain, racing one another to the beach at the bottom.

Even in this competitive atmosphere, spinning remains about challenging yourself. There's only so much you can do on a bike, LeBel allows, and so the emphasis is on building the mind-body connection, and helping students "find their zone."

Students are encouraged to find their own challenging pace. As LeBel points out to her students during the workout, "This is your ride, not your neighbor's ride, not my ride. You're going to go at your own pace."

By the end of class, students are drenched in sweat, and I can see why a towel and a water bottle are essential.

"This class makes you sweat like no other," LeBel says. "You're burning a ridiculous amount of calories." In fact, you can burn as many as 450 in the course of a 45-minute class.

"You get a great workout," says student Jill Osinski. She's been coming to the class for about a month. "You feel like you get a lot accomplished in 45 minutes."

Spinning is a great alternative to other kinds of aerobics classes, because it doesn't put as much pressure on your knees or require as much coordination, says another student, Charles Day. Plus, the high energy atmosphere provides a lot of motivation.

"You push yourself," Day says. "It's your own workout."

Victoria Daley has been taking the spinning classes since the gym began offering them in September. The instructor's guided visualization really helps her get to a place she needs to be, and gets her mind off what her physical body is doing.

"It's more individual than the group classes," Daley says. "Usually she walks us right through a nice little jaunt to the woods or beach."